BattlefieldsJacobite garrison skirmish at Dumfries 1745
Jacobite Risings

Jacobite garrison skirmish at Dumfries 1745

1745
Scotland
Era
Jacobite Risings
Battle Type
Pitched Battle
Location
Scotland
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Dumfries town authorities
Forces
Dumfries town authorities (anti-Jacobite Presbyterian)
VS
Victor
Jacobites
Forces
Jacobite detachment demanding ransom
Outcome
Jacobites occupy and levy Dumfries on retreat north; anti-Jacobite town pays ransom under duress
The Battle

History & Significance

Dumfries was occupied by the Jacobite army during both the advance south and the retreat north in 1745. The town was heavily Presbyterian and anti-Jacobite in sentiment — Dumfries and Galloway were among the least Jacobite regions of Scotland, with strong Covenanting traditions. When the Jacobites demanded a ransom and supplies from Dumfries during the retreat in December 1745, the town authorities resisted initially. A Jacobite detachment occupied the town by force. Prince Charles demanded payment for the horses his army had requisitioned on the march south — the town eventually paid. Government militia in Dumfries had fled before the Jacobite advance, leaving the town defenceless.

Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

Aubrey Research

Explore the landscape around this battlefield

Aubrey generates in-depth historical research for any location in Britain — drawing on Domesday records, scheduled monuments, Victorian OS maps, geological data and archaeological archives to tell the full story of a place.

Research a location near this battlefield